make a silk purse of a sow's ear
To produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You cannot make a silk purse of a sow's ear with these cheap materials.”
“You cannot make a silk purse of a sow's ear using this low-quality data.”
“The chef tries to make a silk purse of a sow's ear with spoiled fruit.”
“The designer tried to renovate the old, broken shed, but she soon realized she could not make a silk purse of a sow's ear.”
“The director hoped a famous actor would save the terrible script, but even a star cannot make a silk purse of a sow's ear.”
“My brother thinks he can turn that rusty car into a luxury vehicle, but you really cannot make a silk purse of a sow's ear.”
“Despite the architect's brilliant vision for the crumbling ruins, he eventually admitted that one cannot make a silk purse of a sow's ear when the foundation is entirely rotten.”
first recorded 16th c.
The expression was coined by Stephen Gosson in 1579. It appears on page 62v of his work, The Ephemerides of Phialo: Deuided Into Three Bookes.
- 01
absence makes the heart grow fonder
One feels more love or affection for those one loves when parted from them.
- 02
all ears
Listening intently; fully focused.
- 03
all eyes and ears
Very attentive.
- 04
are your ears burning
Asked of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.
- 05
beat someone round the ears
To beat (a person) with blows about the head.
- 06
believe one's ears
To believe that something which one hears is truly the case.
- 07
bend someone's ear
To bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.
- 08
box someone's ears
To slap someone on the side of the head, usually as an informal punishment.
Last updated August 10, 2026